


If Wishes Were Horses

by justbygrace



Category: Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Angst, Canon verse, F/M, the stone rose
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-04
Updated: 2017-03-04
Packaged: 2018-09-28 07:31:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 835
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10079576
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/justbygrace/pseuds/justbygrace
Summary: An addendum to 'The Stone Rose'They asked me for a follow-up to the kiss in 'The Stone Rose.' I think this is more angsty than they were going for.Recognizable dialogue taken from The Stone Rose' by Jacqueline Rayner.





	

"You said that Fortuna has sometimes got a blindfold on so she doesn't know who she favors," Rose said, measuring each word before she spoke it. A thought had occurred to her and she wasn't quite sure how to word it.

The Doctor nodded, his fists clenching in the fabric of his trousers.

"That sometimes she turns her back on people who've relied on her, sometimes the luck," she paused, not wanting to meet the Doctor's gaze, "goes away."

"And lucky pants are just pants and four-leaf clovers are just vegetation and a rabbit's foot means you should just call the RSPCA. I'll survive," he finished in a quieter tone.

Rose stared at him. The line of his shoulders was stiff, his head turned partially away from her, his eyes fixed on the statue that sat before them; he looked as if he too was carved from pure marble. She edged closer to him, her own eyes turning to look at the statue before them. It really was a perfect representation of her, perfectly imperfect she thought; it portrayed her flaws with an edge of tenderness that her own critical gaze never afforded. 

On another day she never would have dared to speak, content to leave the lines where they were, as unyielding as the lines of her stone representation, but today was not like other days. 

Reaching out a hand, she gently eased the Doctor's clenched fingers apart before sliding her fingers between his. "I want you to do more than survive."

He didn't answer though his fingers tightened around hers.

"I wish..." she began, but he cut her off.

"Stop! Didn't the GENIE prove that wishing was a very bad thing to do. Didn't he show us in great detail about the futility of wishing?" he exclaimed.

"No. He proved that greedy wishing was a bad thing to do, that non-specific wishing was a bad thing to do. But wishes can be a positive thing, especially when they are to help others and not for your own benefit," Rose argued. 

The Doctor looked as if he was going to speak, but then shut his mouth and nodded slightly at her to continue.

"Alright then. I wish that you will do more than just survive without me." Rose glanced sideways at him as she spoke.

His face froze, going completely blank for long seconds before he spoke, looking straight ahead. "Why do you want to talk about this?"

"Because it's inevitable I'm going to leave you." She held up a hand to forestall his arguments. "Most definitely not because I want to, but because I am going to be forced to. Whether through old age or through death or through some other form of separation, you are going to outlive me. And when that happens, I want you to do more than survive. After all, you're the one who taught me that life is about more than surviving." 

He let out an unamused chuckle. "No, you're the one who taught me that. I haven't taught you anything but the best way to go about getting yourself killed." 

"Doctor," Rose started and then stopped, turning towards him and burying her face in his chest. His arms came around her immediately, holding her tightly to him.

When the Doctor finally spoke, he seemed to struggle with each word. "I can't promise to be happy. I can't promise to continue to feel. I can't promise that I will embrace life as fully as you have taught me to do. I can promise that I will try and I can promise that I won't give up. But Rose, I need you to promise the same thing. If, if something happens that separates us for good and you still have breath, I need you to promise that you will do more than just survive."

She opened her mouth and shut it several times; the promise that was so easy to ask of him was a great deal harder when she had to make it herself. Her reply, when it came, was watery. "I promise."

They stayed where they were, wrapped in each other's arms for many long moments, but Rose had one more thing to ask of him; one more line to contest after the events of the day.

"Until then though..." she started.

"Yes?" He pulled back enough to look down at her.

Words failed her and, gripping her courage with both hands, she went up on tiptoes and pressed her lips to his. It took him several long seconds to respond, but when he finally did, he was an enthusiastic participant. 

At length he pulled back to give her a chance to breathe, resting his forehead against hers. "Not that I'm complaining because I'm definitely not, but what was that for?"

"Today I learned that it's not about simply making a wish and hoping it comes true, it's about going out there and making sure it does," Rose said before pressing her lips to his once more.


End file.
